Most printed surfaces are silent and static, i.e., they do not emit sounds or display visual information relating to the objects depicted on the surface. Examples of such surfaces include the pages of books, magazines, newspapers, board games and displays.
Audiotapes, compact discs and other media can provide an audible version of the content of books. Computer systems and programs are known to provide that content on a display. Some computer programs highlight words as they are read as well as provide an audio version of the content being highlighted. Other computer systems and programs allow a user to click on a word or image to provide additional audio and visual information relating to the content. These conventional systems, however, are not part of the actual print medium and they lack the look and feel of the print medium.
Conventional systems also exist that use a scanner or stylus to scan a printed surface imprinted with a conventional two dimensional (i.e. bar code) proprietary pattern or applied medallion. These systems, however, are not ideal for printed surfaces because they involve distracting or unattractive extraneous indicia imprinted in the printed surface.
Systems that employ optical readers or other types of detectors to detect images, symbols, and barcodes in printed materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,569. The '569 patent discloses an optical reader that determines whether a captured image on printed material is a color or photographic image or a symbol.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,075 discloses a symbol image sensor that includes one or more filters which remove or reduce certain wavelengths of light reflected from the symbol to create color separations at the image sensor. In the '075 patent, a comparator, such as a microprocessor, programmed general purpose computer, or digital logic circuit can determine the position and color of the various elements of the symbol based on the decoded image data produced by the sensor.
Systems have also been developed in which sound data have been encoded into a printed surface and can be extracted using readers that decode the encoded information. It is sometimes desirable to encode data, including sound data, onto a reflective print having an image, symbol or barcode. The sound data, which may be optically readable, provides information relating to the image. The sound data may be encoded onto the print so that it overlays the image, or alternatively, is encoded in a margin surrounding the image on the print. A reader is typically provided which reads the encoded data and emits sound corresponding to that data. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,304 discloses systems wherein sound data is imprinted in the form of a machine readable code, such as a barcode, onto a still form reflection print, or, invisible ink is used to form a scanable barcode encoding sound information.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,429 discloses an adjustable reader and a method of reading encoded indicia on an object. The reader includes a detector for detecting the indicia and an emitter coupled to the detector for emitting a signal encoded by the indicia. The indicia of the prior art, which can be a sound indicia is formed out of an invisible dye. The sound indicia of the prior art is preferably a dye having special absorption in the infrared region or ultraviolet region of the radiation spectrum. Such a dye is selected so that the dye does not absorb or fluoresce light in the human visible spectrum, but which is visible to optical reading devices capable of illuminating the indicia with infrared or ultraviolet light. For this purpose, the dye of the prior art may be 4,4″-bis(triazin-2-ylamino)stilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acids; 2-(stilben-4-y)naphthotriasoles; or 2-(4-phenylstelben-4-yl)benzoxazoles, or other suitable dye.
Other systems which use detectors to detect and trigger the expression of encoded multimedia content, including sounds, from printed material include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,690. The '690 patent discloses a system where data is encoded in an image field on a photographic print and can be reproduced as sound information.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,279 discloses a system and process that uses infrared dyes to integrate data, in a visually imperceptible form, into a printed color image. This system allows for encoding of voice or sound data into a still print and uses an optical reader.
Still other systems employ areas called “active colors” on the print. Active colors are colored areas that can be recognized by a detector and decoded. U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,828 discloses a color coding system for encoding information on products and other substrates where the color code is printed using single intensity colors in specific shapes that can be easily read.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,441 discloses a technique for decoding message data that has been encoded into a printed color image made up of small color regions called signal cells that carry the encoded message.
Printed surfaces can provide more valuable sources of information if the images can be expressed in audio, visual or other form in addition to the static image on the surface. For example, children and adults who are learning how to read could benefit from books and other print media that provide information relating to the visual images in sound and/or video form. Users who are visually impaired or have a learning disability could similarly benefit from such a system. Readers who are trying to learn a foreign language could benefit from a system that provides audio output of the print content.
The art has heretofore not provided systems which can express the visual content of the printed medium in audio, video or web-based form. A simple yet comprehensive and unobtrusive system is needed for providing audio, visual and/or other expressions corresponding to the print content.